Recordings chronicle night of police chase, crash, gunfire on South Side

Citizens Police Review Board releases audio

UPDATED 6:04 PM EST Jan 23, 2013

PITTSBURGH -

Police recordings detailing the night of a chase, crash and gunfire on the South Side have been released.

The audio, made public by the Citizens Police Review Board on Wednesday, chronicles officers as they pursue the driver and attempt to stop him before reaching streets full of bar patrons.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said the chase started at 1:39 a.m. Jan. 13 on Eighth Avenue in Homestead and ended nine minutes later in the 1300 block of East Carson Street, after five Pittsburgh police officers fired at the car.

Sergeant: “Terminate that pursuit. Tell them to terminate that pursuit.”

Dispatcher: “Will do. City units, terminate the pursuit. That's all city units, terminate the pursuit.”

Pittsburgh police obeyed the order, but said Homestead officers continued to pursue the vehicle.

Officer: “Seventeen, we terminated. They are still pursuing. Those agencies are still pursuing, obviously.”

Police put down road spikes at the intersection of 24th and Carson streets on the South Side to try to stop the driver.

Officer: “They just passed us at 28th and Carson. Still in pursuit.”

Officer: “Here they come. Get out those stop sticks. They're coming this way, guys. They're coming this way."

Dispatcher: “They have been advised to terminate.”

Sergeant: “Copy. If they can stop him at 24th, cars, stop him. I don't want that thing coming into the (South Side Flats). There are too many people.”

But the fleeing driver went around the spikes and continued at a high speed as patrons were leaving crowded bars along East Carson Street.

Officer: “Alright, guys. I think if we shut out (police) lights, he's going to get bottled up in traffic. Just shut your lights down, we bottle him up.”

Sergeant: “Terminate that pursuit, terminate that pursuit. He's down in the Flats. Terminate it. No one follow.”

Officers who were working off-duty details at bars got people off the sidewalks and fired shots at the vehicle, police said.

Officer: “Shots fired.”

Dispatcher: “Shots fired. What location?”

Officer: “Shots fired 14th and Carson (streets). Shots fired.”

Dispatcher: “14th and Carson. Shots fired."

Police said the driver hit several parked cars, and finally stopped when he rear-ended a vehicle with three people inside.

The driver and his mother were hospitalized in serious condition. The woman had a gunshot wound to the face and was recovering from surgery, while the driver, identified as 32-year-old Donald Burris, suffered a gunshot wound to the arm, police said.

Burris, of Carnegie, was arrested after being released from UPMC Mercy hospital and taken to the Allegheny County Jail. He has been charged with one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police and seven counts each of aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person.

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